In Dreams
by GibbsGirlAbby
Summary: Tony is dreaming and cannot make sense of these dreams, until a fateful case brings it all into focus.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! New story, just a few chapters long. This is not the sequel to "Wet Dreams" but is a different story completely. It's very hot and heavy, so if hot boy on boy action isn't your thing, you might want to skip. Otherwise, please read and review.**

* * *

**In Dreams**

_He sighed as the hot, hard length pushed inside, pushing back to take all of it, wanting all of it. Strong fingers gripped his hips to aid his movements, slowing him down but keeping up the rhythm of push…pull…push…pull. A hand reached around to grasp his own hardness, drawing forth another groan as the beat of hips was now accompanied by the pull of fingers. The oil used lubricated their movements, and looking down, he saw his shaft, gleaming in the firelight, encircled by that hand. The movements increased in speed, hips snapping against him, hand pulling tighter until with a groan, his climax came over him, white lightening bursting behind his eyes. Inside of him he felt a pause and then heat as another climax was reached. With a sigh, both men tumbled to the ground, the soft furs cushioning the fall._

"_Thank you, Centurion," came the whisper behind him._

_He smiled at the name, even though he had been raised far above the rank of Centurion for years. "My pleasure, General," he said, moving to his back as the other man withdrew. "And my honor." He watched as a look of concern graced the other man's features. "You doubt me, General?"_

"_Not doubt, Centurion," came the reply. "However, I hope you do not feel it is an obligation, that it truly is a pleasure for you."_

"_Could you not tell?" _

"_Completion does not always equal a willing participation, Centurion," the General replied, turning his face away in shame. "We have seen enough of our fellow soldiers take advantage of both men and women we have conquered, and while they may have felt a climax at the end it was neither their pleasure nor honor."_

_He sat up quickly, grasping the General's shoulders to bring his face back to him. "This is not force, General," he assured. "I am strong enough to say no." The General raised a skeptical brow. "Yes, even to you, sir," he confirmed. "I have said no before, to others, of higher and more noble rank. I choose to be with you. Why just the other day…"_

_A growl came from the General. "Someone has approached you?" he asked, not hiding his jealousy. "Who? I will have his head."_

_He smiled. "I will not tell you," he said, leaning in for a quick kiss. "Just know that I am yours, body, heart, mind and soul. My arm is yours in battle, and my body is yours in bed. I belong to you, General, and will until I die."_

_The blue eyes above him flashed, but anything that might have happened was stilled as a call came from outside the tent. "General! The Germainans are moving down the hills toward our positions!"_

_He watched as the last of the enemy was dispatched by soldiers in his own legion. The battle was short but fierce. The remnant of the Germainian forces had staged one last, suicidal attack against their victors, and the General had offered leniency should they accept the Emperors rule. All had declined, so all were dispatched to the afterlife with one stroke of the sword each. He shook his head at the waste but understood the reasoning behind the General's actions. To leave an enemy behind is to assure yourself of future complications. _

_A familiar voice rang out. "Centurion!" _

_He looked about, spotting the General and jogging over to join his commander, ignoring the looks from his peers and subordinates alike. "Sir."_

"_Come with me."_

_They left the camp area, moving through the woods to a small enclave of huts surrounding a long dormant fire pit. _

"_Let us scout out these dwellings and perhaps we can assign them to the medics and our injured soldiers. Recovery will be accomplished much faster out of the elements."_

_He nodded, touched by the General's interest and care of the fallen. "Let me proceed, General" he said, withdrawing his sword and entering the first hut._

_The light was dying but he could see the area was empty and beckoned the General through the door. _

_The General nodded. "These will do," he said, turning back to the doorway. _

_Neither saw the shadowed figure until it was too late. A flash of light bounced off the sword as it arced through the air toward the General. A moment later, the General was on the ground._

_He reacted with instinct, slicing through the air and grunting with satisfaction as he felt the blade make contact. He heard a thud, then a second one as the Germanian's head fell a split second after his body but didn't care. His only thought was on his General._

"_Sir!" He knelt on the ground, pulling the General into his arms, the warmth of blood registering into his brain. "General…no…"_

"_Yes," came the answer, breath wet with blood. "Thank you, Centurion."_

"_Nooooooo!"_

"NOOOOOO!"

Tony bolted up in bed, coming awake with a start, heart pounding, sheets soaked as always. The dream always did this to him, made him shake with fear and hurt and pain. He shook his head, hoping to capture a bit more of the dream, but no, all he had was what he always had. Sharp blue eyes, the feeling of belonging, and the…death. Oh, yeah. The sex. Tony did remember the sex. Hot, hard, mind blowing sex of the male on male variety. Tony didn't wonder too much about that, since sex and men weren't a foreign idea to him. But despite the sex the dream frustrated him.

For three weeks now he had the same dream. Not every night, but most nights. It was getting where he didn't even want to sleep, and for Tony that was a big deal. He looked a the clock. 5:15. Tony sighed and swung his legs over the side of the bed, resigning himself to getting up and not even trying to sleep anymore.

The day went slowly. Tony fought against the yawns, drinking cup after cup of coffee to trying to stay awake as he worked on paperwork. And it wasn't like he really wanted to go to sleep. The last thing he wanted was to dream the dream again, to see the light go out of those bright blue eyes, to feel the pain of loss…even though he wasn't sure who he was losing. He fought down the side of him that said yes, you know who it is but it makes no sense so just go on ignoring it and maybe it won't be real.

"Gear up."

Tony's head lifted as Gibbs said those magic words. "What's up, Boss?" he asked, already rising from his chair to grab his back pack, following Gibbs.

"Report of a dead Marine in Valley Vista," Gibbs said, nodding to McGee.

"Valley Vista is a camp ground for Marine families," McGee said, eyes still on his Blackberry.

"So, what do we know, Boss?" Tony asked, catching the keys as Gibbs tossed them over.

"That's it, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "We'll find out more when we get there."

The campground was a quiet, picturesque slice of Marine heaven, Tony thought. Cabins with bunks and real bathrooms, but just rustic enough to quench the whole 'hoo-rah' side of camping Marines and their families. Tony and McGee sketched and shot the scene, where Sgt. McPherson lay, a bullet hole evident in his chest. "Kinda easy to see the cause of death," Tony said as Ducky and Palmer rolled in with the gurney.

"Is that so, Anthony?" Ducky said, removing the liver probe from his bag. "Shall I just retire now, and let you handle all the autopsy's from now on?"

"No, Ducky, I didn't…" Tony looked at McGee for help, but the Probie just smiled and continued to take pictures. "Sorry, Ducky. Won't happen again."

"Probable cause of death, Duck?" Gibbs asked as he came up to them.

"Gun shot wound to the chest," Ducky said, smiling at Tony's expression. "But as always, I reserve the right to make a positive deliberation at a later time."

"Okay, Ducky," Gibbs said. "Tony, let's check out some of the other cabins, see if they're all the same, make sure there's no other bodies."

"On your six, Boss," Tony said, dropping the sketch pad and following Gibbs out.

They moved down the row of cabins, finding each one the same—a small kitchen, lounge area, and two bedrooms, both with twin beds. Tony walked through the cabins with Gibbs, a eerie feeling coming over him as the they searched the empty spaces. Tony shook his head, trying to dampen the feeling even as his hand moved to rest on his gun.

"There's nothing here, Tony," Gibbs said, moving toward the door to exit the cabin.

It happened so fast both men were taken by surprise. The man behind the door jumped out, gun leveled at Gibbs. Tony reacted by instinct, shoving the older man down just as the gun flashed. Tony lifted his own weapon and fired twice toward that flash, knowing without even checking he'd hit the shooter twice in the chest.

Dropping to his knees, Tony gathered Gibbs close, hands moving roughly to find where the blood was coming from. There, right there. A graze along Gibbs neck, just missing the carotid artery. Tony's hand pressed hard to stop the flow of blood as his other hand reached for his phone. "McGee! Cabin Eight, get an ambulance—Gibbs has been shot!"

The tossed the phone aside and pulled Gibbs closer. "It's okay, Boss," Tony said, pressing harder on the wound. "You'll be okay." Tony wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, but he kept saying it over and over. "You'll be okay."

Gibbs' hand reached up to grasp Tony's blood covered one. "Thank you…" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"What, Boss?" Tony leaned down to catch the words.

"Thank you, Centurion."

Tony's eyes widened in surprise as Gibbs passed out in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

**Reviews are love.**

* * *

In Dreams 2

_He held tight to his General, his hand pressing onto the wound, the warm blood seeping between his fingers unchecked. "MEDIC!" he screamed over and over until finally, the surgeon arrived. He watched as the other man knelt down, indicating for him to move his hand away from the wound. _

_The surgeon's eyes darkened, his head shaking. "I am sorry, but the wound is fatal."_

"_Fatal…no," he protested, tightening his grip on the bloody man again. "There must be something…a binding, sewing the wound, something."_

"_I fear not," the surgeon said, shifting to stand. "There is too much blood loss, even if I could close the gap. It's deep, sir, showing a cut vein."_

"_Centurion."_

_He jerked at the whisper, looking down at his General. The blue eyes were opened, but he could see them fading. Holding tighter, he leaned down to listen._

"_I will see you again, Centurion." The voice was wet, gurgling blood frothing from his General's lips. "Let me go."_

_He shook his head, never one to admit defeat. "No, General…I cannot…"_

"_Yes, you must." A wet cough. "We will find each other again."_

_His eyes were blurred by tears as his General slipped away. "Your word, General?" He squeezed tight., lips pressing against the other man's forehead. His chest was heavy with pain, the idea of losing this man beyond comprehension. "Give me your word we will be together again."_

"_You have…my word, Centurion." The General gave another cough, then went limp in his arms. _

Tony came awake with a start, almost slipping off the hard plastic chair. A quick glance at his watch showed that Gibbs had been in the emergency room for two hours. Spying the bathroom, Tony rose and entered, taking care of body functions before standing over the sink, the running water over his hands cold and bracing. He splashed some water onto his face, noting what was falling off him into the sink had a pink tinge. Gibbs' blood, he realized. He still had it on his face, his clothes. With a start, Tony bolted for the stall and fell to the floor, emptying his stomach into the porcelain bowl.

Tony reached up a tired hand, flushing the toilet but found he was unable to rise from the floor just yet. The images ran through his mind like a movie reel, flipping over and over…

"_God dammit, McGee, where is Ducky?" Tony yelled at the other agent who was hovering outside the cabin door. _

"_I'm right here, Anthony," Ducky said, moving quickly into the room. "Oh, my. What have you done, Jethro?"_

"_He was shot, Ducky, right above the carotid, and he's bleeding, so you need to stop that fast because he'll bleed out, Ducky and hrumph…"_

_Tony's words were stilled by Gibbs hand across his mouth. "DiNozzo," he said, his voice a whisper. "Let him work."_

_Tony's eyes shined with relief at being scolded. "Sorry, Boss," he said, moving the hand on Gibbs' neck off so Ducky could see the wound._

"_There, there," Ducky soothed. "It's to be understood, Anthony. Seeing your friend get shot, and in such a vulnerable location, I would imagine it would unnerve just about anyone," Ducky's hands moved swiftly, gauze and sterile solution cleaning off the copious amount of blood to see the wound beneath. "Ah, it's pretty deep graze, Jethro, and will warrant a few stitches. McGee, is the ambulance here yet?"_

"_Don't…" Gibbs gasped in pain as he tried to rise up. "Don't need a bus, Duck. DiNozzo can take me."_

"_No can do, Boss," Tony said, sitting next to Gibbs, but not touching anymore. "I'll ride with you, though."_

_Gibbs' protest was stalled as the paramedics entered the cabin, moving Gibbs onto the stretcher. Tony followed close behind, jumping into the ambulance._

And now here he was, wiped out on the bathroom floor, his guts empty and his mind whirling. Not only was Gibbs injured, not only did he miss a shooter and his boss paid the price…there were those freaking dreams—and what Gibbs had said. _Thank you, Centurion._ He'd dreamed that so many times in the past few weeks…he must have imagined it. The scenes were so similar, that must be it. In his dream, the general was killed—then Gibbs was shot. It was all jumbled in his mind and yes, he'd imagined it.

Because the other explanation didn't make sense.

Tony finally got the strength to rise from the floor, moving out of the stall and back to the sink. He rinsed his mouth, wishing he had some of Gibbs' ever present gum to take the awful taste out of his mouth. Checking his reflection, he was glad to see all the blood gone from his face. There was nothing he could do about his clothes right now.

Ducky was outside the door of the ER when Tony returned. "Ah, Anthony," the ME said. "Jethro is fine, he had 15 stitches and a few shots of lidocane, but is naturally a bit woozy."

"I'll take him home, Ducky," Tony said.

"I never suspected anything else, my boy," Ducky said. "He'll be off work for at least a day, and let him know I'll come by tomorrow to check the stitches. Tell him no bourbon or boat, at least for tonight."

"I will, Ducky." Tony was anxious to get through he ER doors to see Gibbs for himself. "I'll call if I need you."

Ducky smiled as Tony moved swiftly through the doors, not even asking what area of the ER Jethro was in.

Tony moved through the ER, peaking around curtains until he found the right on. Gibbs was on the bed, a white bandage wrapped around his neck, his clothes as blood stained as Tony's. He watched as Gibbs slept, a sense of peace coming over Tony at the regular rise and fall of his chest. He gripped the curtain, realizing how close this had been, how very close he'd come to losing Gibbs.

And Tony had never told him…

"Stop staring, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, his eyes still shut. "And get me out of here."

Tony shook his head, a smile gracing his handsome features. "Sure thing, Boss," he said, moving further into the curtain area. "Paperwork all done, or do I need to sign you out?"

Gibbs finally opened his eyes, locking his with Tony's. "Ducky took care of everything," he said, voice strained and soft.

Tony found he couldn't look away. "How are you feeling?" Stupid question, he thought. The man had been shot, and it was his fault. His hand itched to touch Gibbs, to stroke his face, to feel for himself the warm skin.

"Like I've been shot," came the reply.

"I'm sorry about that, Boss," Tony said, eyes still locked. "I let you down, let you get hurt."

"What are you talking about?"

"The shooter," Tony said, moving closer to the bed. "I should have seen him, Boss. Should have taken him down, or taken the bullet…"

"No, Tony, don't think like that. You saw him in enough time, you saved me."

Tony swallowed, pulled toward those eyes. "So you're not disappointed in me?" His hand fiddled with the bed covers until it grasped by another hand, this one warm, hard, calloused. He felt that hand squeeze reassuringly.

Gibbs smiled, rubbing a thumb absently along Tony's hand. "You have…"

Tony swallowed as Gibbs paused, both fearing and wanting what might be coming.

"…my word, Centurion."

Tony held on tight as his world shifted again.


	3. Chapter 3

**In Dreams Chapter 2**

Tony was quiet on the ride to Gibbs house, driving the company sedan slowly. He was quiet for two reasons. One, Gibbs was in a lot of pain. Tony slanted a glance at his boss, noting the pale skin color as his head rested against the seat, eyes closed. The white bandage shone starkly against Gibbs' skin and every so often a grimace graced his features but Gibbs, being Gibbs, didn't say anything.

The second reason Tony was quiet was due to the fact he was struck dumb by Gibbs' words. Twice now Gibbs had said something straight from his dreams. He tried to work through it, tried to figure out any way that Gibbs would say what he did than…no, it was impossible. It must have just been something he said. And what exactly was it? Oh, yeah. He'd said _thank you_ and he'd said _you have my word_. Words that anyone might have said in similar situations. Nothing spooky or hinky about that. _Except for what Gibbs added at the end_, Tony thought, shaking his head at his own attempt at denial. He'd heard the word not once, but twice**. **

_Centurion_.

He knew he had to talk to Gibbs about it, to see if the other man knew what he'd said and if so, what it all meant. He snagged another look at Gibbs, his chest tightening a bit at another show of pain crossed Gibbs' face. "We're here, Boss," Tony said softly, pulling into Gibbs' driveway and turning off the car. He quickly jumped out of the car and rounded to Gibbs' side as he was standing up. Tony backed off at the glare, knowing Gibbs didn't want help even if he probably needed it.

"Here," Gibbs said before tossing his keys to Tony.

Tony nodded and went up the steps, unlocking the door and turning on the lights. He was just finished in the living room as Gibbs came into the house, closing the door behind him. Slow steps brought him were Tony was, sighing as he sank to the couch. "I'll make you some coffee, Boss," Tony said, slipping off his coat and moving into the kitchen. With an economy of movements Tony set up and started the coffee pot. He smiled as he reached into the cupboard, noting the powered creamer Gibbs' kept for him next to the sugar. Snagging two mugs, he poured out the completed brew, doctoring his before taking both mugs into the living room. Gibbs had resumed his earlier position he'd had in the car, head back, eyes closed, shards of pain creasing his face.

"You're staring again, DiNozzo," Gibbs said without opening his eyes.

"Sorry, Boss." Tony walked forward, placing Gibbs' coffee on the table before sitting opposite in an easy chair.

Gibbs finally sat up, wrapping his hands around the mug and taking a deep drink, eyes closing again but with pleasure, not pain. "You've learned to make a good pot of coffee, DiNozzo," Gibbs said.

Tony could feel his face flush at the complement. "Thanks, Boss."

"Welcome. But you're still here…why?"

Tony blinked. "I'm on administrative duty, Boss, remember? Killed someone." Tony was on a desk until Internal Affairs cleared him in the shooting.

Gibbs eyed Tony. "You okay?"

"Shouldn't that be my line, Boss?"

"DiNozzo."

"I'm okay, Boss. No real regrets, considering he was going to kill you." Tony swallowed, his mind once again filled with a bloody Gibbs in his arms. "Wish I'd been faster," he finished, his gaze on the bandage along Gibbs' neck.

"Did good, Tony," Gibbs said. "Did what you had to do. But still, you can go. Right now, all I want to do is go to bed, and I can do that by myself."

Tony swallowed, the image of Gibbs in bed flashing through his mind and doing crazy things to his stomach…and other places. Then the image was replaced by another one, Gibbs over him, pounding into him, the fire lighting his face, hands and mouth and skin everywhere, the feel of his Generals' hands…he blinked, realizing Gibbs had been calling his name. "Sorry, Boss."

"Where were you?"

"Uh, yeah, that's another reason why I'm still here, Boss." Tony dropped his coffee on the table, rising from the chair and pacing around the room.

"Tony, sit down. You're making me nauseous." Tony stopped and sat, mouth opening when Gibbs continued. "And if you say you're sorry one more time, I will head slap you. Tell me what's wrong."

Tony sat forward, hands loosely clasped between his knees. "Do you remember what you said when you were shot?"

Gibbs nodded. "I said thank you."

"And at the hospital?"

"At the hospital?" Gibbs frowned. "When?

"When I asked if you were disappointed in me, for not seeing the shooter in time."

"Oh, that." Gibbs finished his coffee and put down his mug. "I said you had my word I wasn't disappointed in you."

"And do you remember what else you said?"

"Just get to the point, DiNozzo."

Tony took a deep breath. "You called me Centurion, Boss. Both times."

Dawning flashed in Gibbs' eyes, a small smile creasing his face. "Oh, that."

"Yes, that, Boss," Tony answered. "Why."

Gibbs face pinked a bit. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Tony." He sat back on the couch, eyes closing once more.

"You dreamed it, didn't you?"

Gibbs eyes flashed open. "How…"

"Because I've had the same dreams."

Their eyes locked for a moment, each man lost in thought. Tony wondered what Gibbs was thinking. Did he believe him? Did he know what the dreams meant?

"I need more coffee," Gibbs said, rising from the couch and entering the kitchen.

Tony followed close behind. "Gibbs, we have to talk about this."

He stood at the counter, a bit lost before opening a cupboard and getting a new mug. "No, we don't, Tony," he said, pouring the hot liquid and swearing a bit as some sloshed over and burned his fingers.

"Boss, we're having the same dreams," Tony said, grabbing a towel to clean up the spill. "We need to know why."

Gibbs pulled his hand away. "What's to know why, DiNozzo? We spend, what, twenty out of twenty-fours hours of every day together-something obviously is wired weirdly. There's nothing more to it than that."

"Gibbs…"

"Enough, DiNozzo," Gibbs growled, pushing past Tony and stomping out of the kitchen. "You can see yourself out." With that, Gibbs walked up the staircase, a slamming door sounded through the house signally the end of any additional conversation.

xxx

Tony hated desk duty. He especially hated it when the others of his team had something better to do than file paperwork and visit cold cases. Since Gibbs was off for at least another day, the MCRT duties were switched to Balboa's team. That meant others in NCIS snagged both McGee and Ziva for other duties—McGee to Cybercrimes to assist there, and Ziva at the firing range, instructing new agents. Tony looked around the deserted bull pen, resting his chin in his hands, looking at his computer. He was alone, so maybe this would be a good time…Tony opened a Google page and typed in 'reincarnation' in the search box.

"Reincarnation?"

Tony jumped at Ziva's voice over his shoulder. He quickly turned off his monitor, glaring at the Israeli as she circled his desk to his own. "I thought you were gone for the day," Tony asked.

"The instructors asked me to leave the firing range," Ziva said. "Apparently, I was using up too many of the targets and not letting the new agents to shoot enough." She leaned forward. "So, tell me about your new interest in reincarnation."

"I, er, what do you know about it?" Tony asked, flipping on his monitor again, scanning through his search results.

"I know the theory, of course. That you, or rather your soul, has lived before in a different life."

"Do you believe it?"

"Do you?"

"I…what about living the same life, sort of, over and over? Do you think that could be true?"

Ziva came over to his desk. "Why all the interest in this, Tony?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, wondering why he brought it up in the first place. "Forget I said anything."

Ziva's eyes narrowed, but didn't pursue the subject. "How is Gibbs?" she asked casually.

Tony's eyes shot to hers. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering, Tony," she explained. "You and Gibbs are so close, I thought you would know how he is doing."

"You think we're close?"

"You are as close as two peas in a cod."

"Pod," Tony corrected automatically. "And I'm not sure we're close, it's just that we've known each other for such a long time."

Ziva cocked her head. "No, there is more there, Tony," she continued. "You and Gibss…"

"There's nothing there," Tony demanded, switching off his computer and grabbing his bag. "I'm going home."

xxx

Tony sprawled on the couch, beer in one hand and remote in the other. He'd given up on trying to figure this whole thing with Gibbs out and decided to do what the older man was doing—ignoring it. If he had the dreams, fine. Even if they were about Gibbs, or rather, the General, dying, then fine. They were just dreams. And if the dreams included relations between him and Gibbs, or again, the General, then that's okay, too. Thy were just dreams.

And if these relations included mind blowing sex with Gibbs, er, the General, well, that's okay as well.

They were just dreams.

Tony flipped the television on, the cable automatically signaling in to his default station Turner Classic Movies. Tony groaned at the site of Russell Crowe in full regalia, fighting the Germanic horde in "Gladiator." Unable to fight the inevitable, Tony tossed the remote away and snuggled down further into his couch to watch. His eyelids drooped a bit as Maximus Decimus Meridius vanquished the evil Commodus…

Gibbs made his way down to the basement. His neck itched like crazy, but at least the dressing was off. Ducky had come by this afternoon and proclaimed the healing progressing nicely, deciding against another bandage. Gibb had been happy about that, jumping into the shower immediately and washing off with a full shower for the first time since the shooting. After that, he dressed in soft sweats and his oldest NIS tee shirt and headed to his boat. He needed the time with the wood and bourbon to figure out what the hell was going on.

He picked up a sanding block, turning to the partially built boat just as his thoughts turned to Tony. He wondered about what he'd said, calling Tony "Centurion," saying the same words that were in the dreams. He figured the events were so similar they just happened naturally. But the other part, the fact that Tony was having the same dreams—that was more than Gibbs could handle. It was too odd, the dream sharing thing. He'd tried to laugh it off, tried to make it seem normal, but it was anything but. He and Tony were dreaming the same thing.

Before, Gibbs didn't mind the dreams. He'd learned to like them, anticipate them, even embrace them. They were a way for Gibbs to let his subconscious give him in dreams what he would never let his conscious have in waking.

It gave him Tony.

Gibbs poured himself a large glass of bourbon, downing half before turning back to the boat. What was he thinking about? Oh, yeah. The dreams.

He wondered how Tony saw the dreams. Was he repulsed? Gibbs took another drink, figuring that must be the truth. Why wouldn't he? Gibbs thought. He finished the bourbon, feeling the liquor race through him, making him dizzy enough to sit on a stool, back against the basement wall. His eyes closed to stop the room from spinning…

_The tent was warm as he entered. Anthony spied the General on the far side, chalice of wine in hand. He moved into the tent, bowing to the General before standing at attention. "As you ordered, sir," he said, hands tight behind his back, head erect and eyes straight ahead. _

_The General smiled at the sight. Anthony was such a good soldier, proud of his rank, excellent at his job. He felt the stirring in his groin move into a growing heat as his second in command stood at attention. "As you were, Centurion," he ordered, noting the look of surprise cross Anthony's face. "You don't mind the name, do you?"_

_Anthony shook his head. "No, sir," he said. "Reminds me of other days."_

"_That's when I first noticed you," the General said, moving closer to Anthony near the fire. "You were there, among the ranks, so tall, so proud. Your face showed disdain at your orders, but you followed them. The sign of a good soldier."_

"_I am Rome's man, sir," he replied. _

"_Rome's man, yes." The General was closer now, no more than a foot away. "You were too intelligent to leave among the ranks…I knew that immediately. Your rise to my second is proof of that. So yes, you are Rome's man…but only Rome's, I wonder?" _

_Anthony could feel the General's breath on his skin, heating it more than the fire. "Sir…"_

_The General lifted a hand, running a finger down Anthony's jaw to wrap a hand around his neck. "Whose man are you, Centurion?" he asked._

_The whispered word moved like lightening down Anthony's spine. "Yours, General," he said swiftly, moving his head a fraction closer._

_The General released a breath he didn't know he was holding a fraction of a second before closing his mouth on Anthony's. The younger man sighed into the kiss, opening to the General without haste, sighs turning to groans as the General's tongue swept inside, taking, possessing Anthony's mouth. The hand behind Anthony's neck pulled him closer, slanting his head for better access. The General's other hand moved to Anthony's back, dragging him close, letting him feel his erection through his tunic, hoping there was a reciprocating hardness and sighing deeply when he felt it against his hip. _

_Anthony's hands came to life at the contact, pulling the General closer, as close as possible, hips moving roughly against the older man's, seeking relief and wanting to give pleasure. He felt the hand at his neck move down his tunic, lifting the hem to grasp him, fingers tight against his hardness. _

"_Oh, gods," the General sighed, squeezing tight to Anthony. "You're perfect, Centurion," he said, pumping hard on Anthony's cock, reveling in the responses of the young man. He lifted his face to gaze at Anthony's face, noting the raptured features. "May I have you, Centurion?" he asked, pulling hard on Anthony's lower lip._

"_Sir…General…please. Take me, have me…I am yours."_

_That was all the General needed to hear. With rough hand he moved Anthony down to the furs before the fire, stripping the tunics off both of them before grabbing the oil from the table. He slicked up his hands, pulling Anthony's legs apart before slipping a finger inside. His other hand pressed down onto Anthony's hip as he jerked off the ground. Another finger moved inside, stretching the young man a bit more before withdrawing, making Anthony mewl in protest at the loss of sensation._

_He moved Anthony over to his belly, pulling up his hips before spreading Anthony's buttocks, surging inside with one sure thrust. "Gods, Centurion," he groaned, the tight feel of Anthony clasping his cock more than he expected. "Amazing."_

"_General, please," Anthony pleaded, pushing back against the sensations the General was causing. "Harder…more…please." _

_The General picked up the pace, moving faster, snapping his hips almost violently against Antony. He reached down and grasped Anthony's shoulders, pulling him to his knees to sit on the General's shaft. A strong hand reached around and oil slick fingers pulled on Anthony's cock._

"_Come for me, Centurion." Sharp teeth grazed along Anthony's neck before they bit down hard, causing Anthony to climax hard. A second later, the General followed, screaming out his release…_

Gibbs jerked awake, catching himself before tumbling off the stool. He heard the sound of a car pull into his drive followed swiftly by the slam of a car door. He moved off the stool to climb the stairs rapidly, leaving the basement just as Tony walked through the front door.

The two men stared at each other, both breathing hard—Tony from his breakneck drive over here, Gibbs from running up the stairs as well as the dream he'd just had. For seconds…minutes…hours…they kept contact until finally, as if on cue, they both moved. Arms reached out and mouths fused as they came together with a vengeance of lust and desire.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Update. Lots of hot boy on boy sex, so...take note! Reviews are like hot boy on boy sex, we always want more!**

* * *

**In Dreams Chapter Four**

Their mouths fused together as hard as their hands gripped each others' backs. A loud moan sounded in the room and neither man was sure who made the noise—perhaps they both did. They held each other close, so close they could feel each others' heartbeats—and each others' hard cocks.

Gibbs moved first, walking them both into the living room and lowering Tony to the floor in front of the cold fire place. There was only a rag rug beneath them to cushion against the hardwood floor but neither noticed. Gibbs removed his own clothes and shoes, then stripped Tony down until the younger man was naked underneath him. His hands moved to Tony's hips, clutching with one and moving the other to palm Tony's hard cock. This time it was obvious who groaned as Gibbs felt Tony's hot hardness, head leaking. Gibbs lowered his head, breathing deep to take in Tony's scent before he lapped at Tony's cock, smiling as the other man jerked off the floor.

"You're perfect," Gibbs said, lips covering the weeping head of Tony's cock and sucking slightly. "You taste perfect…feel perfect…gods, Tony."

"Gibbsss…please…" Tony begged, his own hands moving to grasp the older man closer. "Please…"

"I will, Anthony," Gibbs promised, his hand moving to shift Tony's legs apart—

Gibbs paused, realizing they had nothing here to ease Gibbs' way. He squeezed Tony's thigh for a second before jumping up and running out of the room, feet pounding as he ran down the basement steps.

"Gibbs?" Tony felt bereft at the loss of heat from the other man, mind fuzzy and not understanding until he heard the return of feet on the stairs and Gibbs was back, a bottle of lotion in his hand. Tony smiled, his eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness of the living room to look, really look at Gibbs. His shoulders were wide, chest strong and covered with silvery hair that tapered just a bit at his waist and narrowed down to bush again around a hard cock that stood straight out, tip gleaming. Tony couldn't resist, jumping to his knees and engulfing that length in one suck, hands gripping hard.

"Tony…" Gibbs groaned at the feel of Tony's wet lips circle him.

Tony licked noisily, humming a bit before sliding his tongue along the head, nibbling a bit. "You taste so good," he moaned. "Like man…and strength…and sex." He slid the cock back down his throat before slurping loose again. "I could just eat you alive," Tony finished, head dipping down so his tongue could chase Gibbs' balls a bit before swallowing down once more.

Gibbs struggled to lock knees that were suddenly weak as Tony sucked him down. It was incredible, he thought, hand rubbing in Tony's hair. But he wanted Tony, wanted to take Tony, possess him, so he pulled gently and with a loud pop he was free of that talented mouth.

Tony looked up at him, mouth swollen, eyes dilated with lust. "Ge…Gibbs?"

"May I have you, Tony?" Gibbs asked softly, kneeling down and laying out on the floor again, spreading Tony's legs and moving between them.

"I…" Tony swallowed, emotions building inside as Gibbs hovered above. "Take what you will," he said, shifting his legs wider as the cool lotion hit his skin. "I belong to you, now and forever."

Gibbs closed his eyes, fighting to get his desire under control. He was so close to just pouncing on Tony and shoving himself inside but fought to slow down, to get Tony ready, to make it good for him. The lotion was slick as he slipped a finger into Tony, smiling with pride as the younger man writhed in pleasure. "Gods, Tony…you feel so good.

"Gibbs…please," he begged again.

"I will, Tony," Gibbs said, slipping another finger inside, stretching Tony wider. Tony jerked as his fingers curled a bit and Gibbs could wait no more. He moved to the side, flipping Tony over and bracing Tony's arms on an ottoman. Gibbs knelled behind Tony and surged inside.

Tony screamed at Gibbs' entrance, pushing back to take all, take everything he could. He felt the older man over him, saw Gibbs' hands braced on the footstool next to his, heard his breath in his own ear. "Gibbs…harder…now…yours…yours…yours…"

At Tony's words Gibbs increased his movements, pounding harder and faster, pulling Tony back to almost sit on Gibbs' legs, his cock buried deep inside. He reached around, fisting Tony's cock tight, pulling in time to his own movements until he felt Tony shudder and a hot wetness covered his hand. Gibbs felt the tremors squeeze his cock and with a final thrust and with his teeth biting down on Tony's neck he came hard.

Minutes…eons later, Gibbs moved, sliding them both to the rag rug on the floor, slipping out of Tony but keeping the other man close. He swiped a hand along Tony's hair, damp and matted, pressing a kiss on Tony's neck. Tony moved, shifting a bit and trying to get closer to Gibbs—not that that was possible, Gibbs thought. "Tony," he whispered. "Are…are you okay?"

Tony hummed, holding Gibbs' arms closer around him. "Fine," he said sleepily. "I'm wonderful."

"Come on, we can't stay here," Gibbs said, pulling his arms away. Using the ottoman next to him (and God knows he'll never look at that piece of furniture the same again) he got to his feet and walked to the kitchen.

Tony grumbled at the loss of Gibbs, glaring as the older man walked away, smiling when he came back, damp cloths in hand.

"Flip over," Gibbs ordered.

Tony complied, watching as Gibbs cleaned the drying semen off of his chest, running the cloth between his legs. Gibbs eyes were soft, his hand sure. "Gibbs…"

"Shh," he ordered, pulling the cloth between Tony's cheeks. "Let's not talk just yet." He tossed the cloth away when finished.

Tony sat up, forcing Gibbs down and grabbing the other cloth, cleaning Gibbs, tenderly rubbing the now soft cock. "You didn't wear a condom," Tony said softly.

"Forgot," Gibbs said, eyes on Tony's face. "You're not worried, are you?"

"Me? No, Boss. Haven't been with anyone for a while now, and well, we get tested every year so I know you're safe and you know I'm safe just figured you'd be a condom guy and I've never not used one and…"

Tony's words were muffled as Gibbs covered his mouth. "You're babbling," Gibbs said. "I repeat, let's not talk just yet."

Tony nodded. He looked away to toss the wet cloth away and saw the blood. "Boss…Gibbs. You're bleeding." He moved quickly to Gibbs' feet, lifting the right one and twisting it a bit. A long, deep scratch was bleeding down Gibbs' leg to his ankle.

"Oh, yeah. I hit the basement stairs wrong when running down there," Gibbs explained, eyes skirting to the lotion.

Tony blushed before rising to his feet, his turn to gather a wet cloth from the kitchen. He kneeled back at Gibbs side, pulling the injured leg into his lap and softly rubbing the cloth against the wound. Tony blinked as the sense of déjà vu came on him, lifting his head to lock gazes with Gibbs as he tended…

…_to the wound. "You must be more careful, General," Anthony scolded. "You are important…to Rome."_

"_Just to Rome, Centurion?" the general asked. _

_Green eyes looked up. "Not just to Rome, General," Anthony admonished. "You know that." He moved the cloth again, happy that the flow of blood has stopped on the leg wound. "You question me often, General, about my commitment to you. Have you doubts?"_

"_I am…not used to this, Centurion," the General admitted, head dropping, eyes skirting away. "Having someone…"_

"_Love you?"_

_The general's head snapped up, eyes locking with Anthony's. "You do not mean that."_

"_I do, my general," Anthony said, wrapping the binding around the wound before lowering the leg from his lap. "I have loved you for years, General, and now…now that we are together, I finally have the chance to tell you."_

"_You…"_

"_Love you."_

"_Anthony…" He shivered as Anthony's hand slipped up the generals' leg, moving under the tunic he wore._

"_General…" Anthony smiled softly, his hand reaching his goal and squeezing the growing hardness he found there. _

"Anthony…Tony?"

"General…Gen…Gibbs?"

Both men blinked, minds pulled back to the present, eyes locked. Tony's hand was covering Gibbs' cock, fingers moving rhythmically on the soft flesh. He pulled his hand away as if it were burning. They both spoke at the same time.

"What the hell was that?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! An update. Kinda just needed to write it for me, as I wanted the boys to, well, read and see. Review are love.**

* * *

**In Dreams 5**

Tony jumped up from the floor, hands waiving as he paced.

"This makes no sense!" Tony wailed. "It's like—I can't even think of a good movie. Maybe sort of like 'The French Lieutenant's Woman," but no, that was flashbacks and ew, red was not a good look for Meryl in that film."

"Tony…" Gibbs said, sitting up a bit. Gibbs was torn between just watching the naked man walking in front of him and urging his senior field agent to calm down.

"It's more like 'Somewhere In Time,' with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Always loved how her name is the same as a wife of Henry the eighth. But it's not like that, not really, because Christopher Reeve actually traveled back in time and we're, what—dreaming through time?"

""Tony…come back and sit down," Gibbs suggested, the wild look on Tony's face starting to alarm him. And anger him.

"I've got it!" Tony paused, looking at Gibbs with delight his eyes. "It's 'The Fountain!' The movie from 2006, written and directed Darren Aronofsky—except, that was ancient Mayans and we're Romans…"

He rose to his feet, approaching the younger man, anger rising a bit more as he watched Anthony pace, failing to heed his commands. He was _always_ obeyed, especially by…"CENTURION!"

Tony stopped, standing straight, eyes front, hands behind his back. "Yes, General!"

Gibbs watched as Tony's eyes widened, realizing what he'd said…what Gibbs had said…right before he fainted dead away. Bracing himself, Gibbs caught him before he hit the floor.

_He lay on the bed, the fever running through his blood. He was hot, he was cold…he was still, he was thrashing. He felt he was dying, knew his head was pounding with heat and pain…_

"_Shhh…relax, Anthony."_

_He focused on the voice, clinging to it like a life line. A hand pressed on his shoulder, quieting his movements. He knew that hand, that voice…_

"_Relax," the voice said again. A cool cloth was placed on his head, calming the heat in his head, on his skin. He forced his eyes open, needing to see…_

"Oh, crap."

Tony closed his eyes again, blocking out the sight of Gibbs sitting next to him, his chest still bare, a wet cloth in his hand. He did a quick survey and realized he was on Gibbs' floor, a blanket over his legs and hips.

"Come on, Tony, open your eyes," Gibbs ordered, placing the cloth back on his head.

"I fainted, Boss," Tony whined. "I've never fainted before.

"Hmm," Gibbs sounded skeptical. "What about before you were in the sewer with Atlas?"

"I was drugged!" Tony argued. "That doesn't count!" He sat up, pulling the cloth off and fixed his boss with a stare. "What's going on here, Boss?" he asked.

"I don't know, Tony," Gibbs admitted. "But it's late and I'm tired—let's wait until tomorrow before we try and tackle this…whatever this is."

Gibbs pushed up from the floor. Tony noted with disappointment he'd put his pants back on. He lifted the blanket cover him and noted he was still stark naked. "Boss, can you pass me my pants?"

Gibbs paused. "Why?"

"Uh…so I don't go home naked?"

"You don't need to go home, Tony."

Tony blinked. "You want me to stay? Overnight?

"Well, yeah, DiNozzo."

"In the guest room?"

"With me," Gibbs explained, eyes narrowing at Tony's reaction. "That surprises you?"

Tony shrugged. "Just seems a bit intimate, that's all."

"I just had my dick in your ass, and you think sleeping together is too intimate?" Gibbs growled, tossing Tony's pants to him before picking up both their shirts and shoes.

"Well, sure, Boss," Tony said, keeping the blanket around his hips as he stands up. "That's just sex."

Again Gibbs paused. "Is that all this is, Tony?" he asked, voice quiet. "Just sex?"

Tony looked at Gibbs closed face, the tension in his shoulders, and he knew he'd said the wrong thing. "How about I faint again, Boss, and we'll have this conversation over?" he joked unsuccessfully.

"Tony…"

"No, it's not just sex, Gibbs," Tony finally said. He dropped the blanket and pants and walked over to the other man. "I don't know what this is, but it could never be just sex. Not with you."

Gibbs' eyes dropped to Tony's mouth before heading back up to his eyes. "So…bed?"

He swallowed, loving the idea of staying the night with Gibbs. "Bed," Tony said. He slipped his pants on then followed Gibbs up the stairs, wondering again what was going on. There was that weird dream thing, and now this part, being with Gibbs, having sex with Gibbs, _sleeping_ with Gibbs…his mind was a whirl of emotion. As Gibbs took the bathroom first Tony turned to survey the bed and the room. A nice sized king bed set sat in the middle of the room, a striped blue spread covering the mattress. Tony walked closer, noting the bed set had both a head board and a foot board, and he'd bet his next months salary that Gibbs had made the bed set himself. He walked around the bed to the right side, noticing the reading glasses and open book on the bed stand on the left side. He was pulling down the spread just as Gibbs came out of the bath, the smell of soap and toothpaste wafting in with him.

Gibbs paused at his dresser. "You need anything to sleep in?" he asked.

Tony shook his head. "I'm a bare sleeper, Boss," he explained. "Remember GITMO?"

Something flickered in Gibbs' eyes. "Yeah, I do," he said, his voice soft.

Tony's breath caught, a shiver of heat moving through him. He could feel himself start to harden as he stared at Gibbs. "Boss…"

Gibbs shook his head. "Tomorrow, DiNozzo," he said, pointing to the bathroom. "Go wash up so we can sleep."

Tony shook his head, breaking the spell and almost jumping into the bathroom. He was washing his hands when he spied the new toothbrush by the sink. Tony unwrapped it and used it, knowing that Gibbs tasted the same as he did right now. He felt himself harden even more.

The lights were off in the bedroom when Tony left the bath, a soft glowing coming from around the drapes giving enough illumination so Tony didn't trip over anything in the unfamiliar room. Rounding the bed, he chunked his pants off and tossed them into a chair before sitting on the bed, pulling the e covers back and sliding under. Tony lay on his right side, faced away from Gibbs, and keeping as still as possible so not to disturb the older man. Next to him he heard Gibbs' even breathing and wondered if the other man was already asleep. His earlier qualms about the situation with Gibbs returned as he wondered, again, what all this meant. Were he and Gibbs reliving a past life? Were they really dreaming the same thing? And not just dreaming, but tonight, earlier, they had both been awake—what did that mean? Would they dream again tonight? Were they supposed to be together, destined through time or was it a fluke, and accident of lust and desire?

"Enough, Tony."

He felt Gibbs turn and scoot up behind him, Gibbs' warm chest pressed close to Tony's back. "I don't understand what's going on," Tony said softly.

"Shhh," Gibbs said, pulling Tony even closer, wrapping his arms around him to turn them both, ending with Gibbs on his back and Tony attached to his side. Gibbs raised and hand and began petting Tony's hair. "We'll figure out what's happening, Tony, I promise."

Tony relaxed a bit, sighing at the feel of Gibbs' hand, smiling at the kiss pressed to his head. "Are you sorry?" Tony regretted asking that the minute he did, doubts creeping in as it took a while for Gibbs to answer.

Gibbs held Tony even tighter, taking a deep breath before speaking. "I'm in bed with a handsome man I've wanted for a long time, and apparently fate is telling us we're destined to be together forever." Gibbs paused as Tony's head shot up from his chest, eyes as big as saucers. "How could I be sorry?" he finished, reaching down to ghost a kiss on Tony's mouth. "Go to sleep, Tony," he ordered, pressing Tony's head down again.

Tony relaxed onto Gibbs' chest, the rhythmic rise and fall of Gibbs' breathing lulling him to sleep.

Neither man dreamt that night.

xxxxx

Tony awoke cocooned in warmth, strong arms around him and hard cock pressed against his ass. He took a deep breath, the scent of Gibbs surrounding him as he snuggled deeper in the warmth, arms and cock. A shiver passed through him as he felt a tongue trace along his ear before teeth nibbled along the lobe down to his neck.

"How did you sleep?"

Gibbs' voice was husky with sleep and went straight to Tony's own cock. He stretched a bit before answering. "Great."

"No dreams?"

"No dreams, Boss." Tony turned a bit to lay on his back, smiling up at Gibbs as he leaned over him, shivering again as Gibbs traced a finger along his jaw down his throat to his chest. "You?" he asked, his voice catching as his nipple was flicked and pinched.

"Hmm," Gibbs answered, leaning down to flick Tony's other nipple with his tongue. "And how do you feel?"

"Uh, great." _Jesus, DiNozzo, come up with a different word_, Tony thought. "I feel…great," he gulped.

"Hmm," came the reply. "Feel great…here?" Gibbs asked, running his hand down Tony's chest to his cock.

Tony arched up at the touch, reveling in the feel of the Gibbs' hand. "Yesssss," he hissed, legs shifting closer.

"And how about…here?" Gibbs asked, slipping a hand between Tony's legs, running his fingers between his cheeks, spreading them for a more intimate touch.

"Gods…"

_He twisted on the bed as the fingers went deeper. The man above him held him tight, hands spreading his legs and mouth working hard on his chest._

"_Please…more," he begged, his own hands moving up to pull the silver head down._

"_Like this, Centurion?" _

"_Gods…_

…Gibbs, please," Tony begged, holding Gibbs head close to his cock, begging to feel the hot heat of his mouth on his straining cock.

"Oh, I will please you, Tony," Gibbs said before licking a wide swath along Tony's dick. He reveled in the taste of the younger man, the flavor bursting on his tongue. "You taste so good…

…_Anthony…so very good." He lifted his head enough to take Anthony's cock into his mouth, lips closing around it, sucking the hot length down. "Strength and man and better than the finest wine."_

"_Please, General." He pulled the older man's head off his cock and tugged him up to his face. "Take me, please," he begged, kissing him deep and opening his legs wider, loving the taste of himself and his general in the kiss. "I need you…_

…inside me," Tony ordered, grabbing Gibbs and pulling him over his heated body. "Now, Gibbs…"

"Shh." Gibbs quieted Tony a bit, raining soft kisses over his face while he reached for the nightstand drawer. "I will, Tony, I promise," he vowed, flicking off the cap and aiming the bottle between their bodies. Tony shifted a bit as the cold lube hit his cock but was soon writing as Gibbs hands slicked up his hole, fingers snaking inside, catching that special spot fast and hard…

…_making his hips jump off the bed, hands clenching his lover, pulling him into him, groaning in satisfaction as the hard, hot length pushed inside…_

…skin slapping hard against his own, cock trapped and rubbing between their bodies. Tony felt the familiar tingle starting up from his balls and pulled Gibbs even closer, hand grasping Gibbs' hips…

…_soon, so soon it would happen, the explosion of white heat, blinding behind his eyes and pulling everything from him. "Anthony…" _

_He paused, eyes locked with the General's…_

…holding his head still, blue eyes locking with green. "Are you…?"

Tony nodded. "Here…stay here, Gibbs," he cried, grabbing Gibbs closer, a shiver of fear running through him. "Now, Gibbs, now!" Tony rolled them both over to straddle Gibbs hips and pumped up and down and up and down frantically, keeping eye contact, hand pumping his own cock until finally finally finally the world burst into a hot white light.


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay update! Just a warning: A hint of non-con at the end, but nothing too violent. Please read and review!**

* * *

**In Dreams 6**

Gibbs moved around the kitchen, efficiently making toast, scrambling eggs, and pouring orange juice, effectively ignoring Tony gripping his coffee mug and the younger man generally freaking out.

"You sure are taking this calmly, Boss," Tony said, sipping his coffee and grimacing.

Gibbs caught the look and rolled his eyes. _After eight years, you'd think they'd get used to his coffee_, he thought, snagging the sugar from the counter and sliding it along the table. "No other way to take it, Tony," he commented, plating the food and setting one down in front of Tony. "Panicking and wringing hands won't solve the problem, will it?"

Tony's hands paused their twisting. "Guess not."

Tony picked up his fork and ate with his usual gusto. Gibbs smiled, noting that whatever this was hadn't bothered Tony's appetite.

"So what do you think is going on, Boss?" Tony said around a bite of toast and egg, happy that Gibbs could cook.

Gibbs swallowed his own food. "No clue, Tony," he admitted.

"Me, too," Tony said. "Each explanation I can think of makes no sense, but then again, none of this makes sense."

"You done?" Gibbs stood and took both plates to the sink, refilling his coffee.

Tony nodded, mind distracted as a thought came to him. He disappeared from the table but soon returned with a legal pad and a pencil. "We're going to do this the McGee way," Tony declared.

"We are not telling McGee about this," Gibbs warned.

"No, Boss," Tony laughed. "The McGee way. See, whenever Probie has a question or a situation he can't decide on, he writes it all out. Says seeing each explanation or decision on paper makes them more tangible and therefore, easier to decide. Of course, McGee either uses his super fancy computerized matrix or his annoying antique typewriter," Tony scoffed. "We'll have to settle for pencil and paper."

Tony bit the eraser of the pencil before putting a number one down, then scratched a few words. He skipped a few lines, the wrote down number two, then proceeded with a three and a four. Dropping the pencil, he flipping the pad towards Gibbs with a smile.

Gibbs leaned over and pulled out his spare glasses from a drawer and began reading out loud. "One—we're sharing dreams because we spend way too much time together and something weird got flipped in our wiring." Gibbs looked up. "You weren't real keen on this explanation yesterday, Tony," he noted.

"Figured it was worth a discussion."

"Hmm," Gibbs said, resuming his reading of the list. "Two—we're having these dreams because we are both going insane and/or have a brain tumor."

Tony sighed. "Yeah, I'm really hoping it's not that one."

Gibbs picked up the pencil and crossed through number two. "We'll just take that off the table right now," he said before reading again. "Three—we're having these dreams because an entity from another planet is playing with our minds." Another few lines of pencil crossed out that option.

"Hey, it could happen," Tony protested. He didn't tell Gibbs that movies featuring aliens that did that usually ended up eating the people they messed with, so maybe it was better that option was off the list.

"Four—we're having these dreams, and it's weird, but they're just dreams and shouldn't be taken seriously." Gibbs pulled off his glasses, chewing thoughtfully on the ear piece as he looked at Tony. "That's it?"

"You're welcome to add on if you want."

Slipping his glasses back on, Gibbs wrote on the tablet quickly before sliding it over to Tony. He watched Tony's eyes widen as he read the words, then reached over, tapping the paper with the pencil. "Out loud," he ordered.

"Five," Tony swallowed, wondering if he was really reading this right. "We're having these dreams because we were lovers in a previous life." Tony shook his head. "Gibbs…"

"Go on," Gibbs instructed when Tony paused.

"Six." Tony's voice was a whisper. "We're having these dreams because we're supposed to be lovers in this life." He shook his head. "You can't…not really," Tony sputtered. "You think it's true?"

"I think we shouldn't discount any theory."

"I thought, maybe," Tony admitted. "Did some research, but the stuff online about reincarnation is so out there I don't know what to believe." He tipped is head, gaze steady. "I gotta admit, you thinking it's a possibility is surprising, Boss. You're not exactly the new age type."

"I've seen too many strange things in my life, Tony, to discount any explanation." Tony looked at him expectantly, but he shook his head. "Another day for that," he hedged. "Let's get back to our predicament." A shadow crossed Tony's eyes. "What?"

"Predicament sounds so…negative," Tony shrugged, feeling like an idiot and a whiny girl all at once. It was just hitting him that he had sex—fabulous mind blowing sex—with his boss and really didn't know where they stood with all that.

Gibbs' hand snaked across the table to grasp Tony's. "I don't mean us, Tony," Gibbs said, running his thumb along Tony's hand. "I don't see us as a bad thing," he said, voice soft and low.

Tony felt a tingle along his hand, down his spine straight to his cock as the calloused thumb grazed his skin. He grasped Gibbs' hand, wondering about this thing between them. "Boss…Gibbs…I don't, I mean, I've touched you for eight years, Boss," he said. "Why is it now that just one touch from you makes me hard?"

Gibbs inhaled sharply at Tony's words, his own cock flaming to life as he sensed Tony's response. He pulled the younger man toward him, angling his chair and forcing Tony down onto his lap, legs spread around his and feet anchored to the floor. "Not a bad thing," Gibbs said again before claiming Tony's mouth.

Both men groaned at the contact. One of Gibbs' hands moved up Tony's back to anchor his head, slating it a bit to gain better access to it. His tongue delved deep, relishing the taste of Tony on his lips. The other hand moved down to Tony's hips, slipping beneath the sweatpants Tony wore and squeezing one cheek hard before pressing his ass tighter against his throbbing erection.

Tony's hands were busy as well, gripping Gibbs' head tight as the kiss went on and on, grinding his crotch in harder against Gibbs' swollen cock. He let go with one hand only to slip it between their bodies, under Gibbs' pants and oh, yes…hot, hard, wet…Tony groaned again, ripping is mouth away from Gibbs to catch a breath.

Gibbs used that opportunity to move his mouth down Tony's neck, licking the flesh found there until he nosed up against Tony's tee shirt. The hand holding Tony's head moved down to push the cloth away, and Gibbs bore down, sucking deep of Tony's skin and scent. Their hips ground together, Tony's hand pressing Gibbs cock against his own, Gibb's hand moving Tony's hips against Gibbs'. "God, Tony," Gibbs said, his voice ragged.

Tony…

"We're still here, Gibbs," Tony noted happily. "We're still us…oh God…like that, yes…

…_yes, please." He prayed to his gods it ended soon. No man, no one could have this much pleasure and live to tell about it. It wasn't true it, it couldn't_…

"…be real, no no no," Tony breathed, looking down at Gibbs, seeing the blue eyes glazed over. "Gibbs…here, stay with me," he pleaded…

…_and pushed up as Anthony writhed on top of him, wanting him, needing him…need…_

"…you here, Gibbs!" With a shake, Tony pulled his hands off of Gibbs and shoved hard at the older man's chest, breaking free of his grasp and tumbling to the floor...

…_laughing as he teased him, taking what belonged to him away suddenly. He would have none of that! Following down onto the floor, he…_

…scrambled away from Gibbs, hoping, praying the other man would wake up, be Gibbs, be here when he felt a hand on his ankle and his movements were stalled but still he twisted, trying to get away but the hand…

…_grasped the other man quickly, a hoarse laugh coming from his throat as his Centurion was in his hands. He shoved the knees apart, moving swiftly between his legs, and pressed down hard. "You are mine…_

…Anthony!"

"Gibbs, stop, oh, God, you have to stop, please," Tony moaned as his hands were anchored above his head and Gibbs ground down hard, thrust once…twice and then wetness spread inside Gibbs pants, triggering his own involuntary release just as Gibbs collapsed against him.

Tony knew the moment Gibbs came back, feeling the tension in the older man's body a second before he jumped off Tony, moving away as quick as he could. "Get out," Gibbs ordered.

"Gibbs, no, don't…"

"GET OUT, NOW."

Tony reached out a hand but pulled back as Gibbs recoiled from him, crawling along the floor. "Gibbs, you didn't hurt…" He paused at the haunted look on Gibbs' face.

Using the closest chair, Gibbs heaved himself off the floor and headed to the basement door. "I can't…not right now. Please, just go." He disappeared behind the door, the latch closing with a hollow click.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi! Update time! This chapter include a bit of case fic, from the first chapter. Please let me know what you think.**

* * *

**In Dreams Chapter 7**

Oh, hell no!

Gibbs looked up as the basement door slammed against the wall and an enraged Tony came down the steps two at a time. He should have looked ridiculous charging down the stairs, his hair standing on end and his pants wet, but he didn't. He just looked angry.

"You don't get to run away from this one, Gibbs," Tony declared, coming to stand next to Gibbs. "Just because something happened you don't like you don't get to hide down here with your boat and your bad attitude."

Gibbs raised a brow. "I don't?"

"Hell, no, you don't," Tony agreed, nodding.

"Tony…"

"You didn't hurt me, Gibbs," Tony explained, placing a hand on Gibbs' shoulder.

He shrugged off the touch. "Thing is, Tony, it wouldn't have matter to me if I had." Gibbs voice was tight, the hold on the rag in his hands strangling. "I've never…I've never lost control like that before, Tony. Not with anyone." His eyes skitted to Tony's then veered away. "I didn't like it."

"Did I?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, you asked me to stop and I didn't."

Tony also shook his head. "No, not _me_ me," he said, tapping a finger on his chest. "The other me. Where you were, in your head," the finger tapped Gibbs's forehead. "With the other me. Did I enjoy it?"

Gibbs closed his eyes trying to re-capture what was happening in his mind at the time. He saw Tony—_Anthony_—smiling, teasing, crawling away from him…

_...along the furs in front of the fire, the light casting a golden glow across his skin. A flash of white broke the spell as Anthony smiled, teasing him, staying just out of his reach until he grasped the nearest ankle and pulled him close. He moved between his Centurions' legs, hardness meeting hardness and he groaned and shook…_

…his head to stop the memory. "Yes," he was forced to say. "Yes, that Anthony…yes, he enjoyed it." He shook his head again, moving away from Tony. "That doesn't change the fact that I practically raped you, Tony."

"I could have stopped you, Gibbs," Tony said.

"Doubtful."

A dry laugh. "I know you've got super snazzy Marine skills, and I'm just a dumb cop, but I could have stopped you." Tony moved closer, following Gibbs until he was backed up to his work bench. "Hate to break it to you, Gunny, but I've got twelve years and twenty pounds on you. You're not unbeatable."

"Really?" Gibbs' voice reeked of skepticism.

"Really."

Quick as lightening, Gibbs found himself pressed against the boat, hands locked behind him. Tony had one arm along his chest near his throat and one leg hitched up, knee pressed hard against his balls. Gibbs shifted a bit, finding the arm at his throat hardening and the knee in his crotch lifting, pressure building in both places. He turned his eyes to Tony's, seeing the deep green orbs lit with fire and challenge.

"And if these dreams are to be believed, _General_," Tony continued, voice soft but steely. "I was a soldier of Rome. Sworn to fight in the name of my Emperor."

Tony's mouth moved closer to Gibbs ear, the moist breath causing the older man to harden despite the pressure of Tony's knee. He swallowed as Tony's tongue traced his ear before continuing.

"I fought in the field. Fighting the enemy with my body and my sword, while generals grew fat and lazy in their warm tents." Tony finished his words by taking Gibbs mouth with a hot hard kiss. Tony slipped his leg down and removed his arm from Gibbs chest, moving it up to cradle Gibbs' face as he broke his mouth free. "You didn't hurt me," he proclaimed again.

Gibbs nodded. "Okay, if I didn't hurt you," he conceded, but cocked an eyebrow at Tony anyway. "Why did you want me to stop?"

Before Tony could answer, a phone rang. Tony moved away as Gibbs dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss," McGee's voice called over the air.

"What's up, McGee?" He watched as Tony turned back to him.

"I was helping Abby with some fingerprints from the case where you got shot and we found something hinky," McGee explained, not really explaining.

His hand went unconsciously to the healing wound on his neck. "What's that, McGee?"

"Abby ran the prints from the cabin, and found one set that didn't match the victims. The prints from the cabin with the victims did not match the guy who shot you, the guy Tony killed."

Gibbs blinked. Two shooters? "Do you know who they belong to?"

"Yeah, a petty officer who's been UA from his ship for four days."

Gibbs grunted. "Good work, McGee. We'll be right in."

Tony's eyes widened at the pronoun, knowing McGee would catch it.

"We, Boss?"

Tony stifled a laugh at Gibbs obvious discomfort. McGee had caught it, all right. "I'll call DiNozzo and get him there. You call Ziva. We'll be there in twenty." He snapped the phone shut before McGee could respond. "Seems the dirt bag you shot wasn't the shooter of the Marine family," Gibbs said.

"We know who it was?"

Gibbs nodded. "McGee will fill us in when we get to the Navy Yard." He started up the stairs, then turned, stopping Tony's own progress. "Why did you want me to stop, Tony?"

"Don't we have a case, Boss?" Tony hedged.

"We have time."

"Gibbs…"

"You're the one who wanted to talk this out, Tony," Gibbs reminded him. "You know what they say. Be careful what you wish for…"

"You just might get it," Tony finished. He looked up at Gibbs, noting the blue eyes were shuttered and closed—Gibbs at his most unreadable. And his most demanding. "I don't know, Gibbs. I just freaked a bit." Gibbs raised a brow. "Can we talk about it later?" He lifted a tentative hand and placed it on Gibbs' chest, fingers feeling Gibbs' heart beat, the rise and fall of breaths.

Gibbs lifted his own hand, covering Tony's as it lay on his chest. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It wasn't that…"

The phone rang again, interrupting Tony. Gibbs growled as he flipped it open. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Oh, Boss, sorry," McGee voice called through the phone. "I dialed you by mistake."

Gibbs flipped the phone closed. He wanted to pursue this with Tony, but the second call from McGee reminded him of priorities. "Let's go."

xxx

Abby was upstairs with McGee when Tony and Gibbs arrived. "What do you got, Abs?" he asked, handing the forensic scientist the large Caf-Pow he carried.

"This is Petty Officer Gil Chambers," Abby said, nodding to picture of the sailor on the plasma screen. "His prints were found in the cabin with our victims, not his." Abby clicked the remote and a new picture was added to the screen. "This is Jim Chambers, the brother of our petty officer, who shot you, Bossman, and courtesy of Tony, now resides downstairs in Ducky's morgue."

"What's Petty Officer Gil Chambers' connection to our victims?" Tony asked. He kept his gaze away from the dead man—not out of guilt for killing him, but to keep his anger in check. Jim Chambers had almost killed Gibbs and Tony was still seething about that.

"Seems one of our victims, Jennifer McPherson, used to date Petty Officer Chambers before marrying our other victim, Sergeant McPherson," McGee explained.

"So Chambers is still out there, possibly still a thread to Jennifer McPherson," Gibbs said. "Tony…"

"Calling the MP's on Quantico to go over to McPherson's house on base and put her under guard," Tony replied, sitting down at his desk and dialing his phone.

"McGee…"

"Already put out a BOLO on Chambers' car. Ziva's getting the warrant for his mother's house, his only address off ship," McGee said. "I'm working on his phone records now."

"Abby…"

"I'll work with McGee on both Chambers' cells and see if anything comes up," she said, turning toward the elevator again. She paused, watching Tony as he finished his call and came over to Gibbs standing at the plasma. "Wow, Tony…did the walk of shame again this morning, huh?" she asked.

Gibbs turned to watch Tony's ears redden. "Walk of shame?"

"That's when you leave a house that's not your own, wearing the same clothes as you did the day before," Abby explained. She peered a bit closer. "And you have a hickey!"

Tony slapped away Abby's hand coming at him. "Got the MP's at the house, Boss," Tony said. "Mrs. McPherson is safely tucked away on base."

"Got the warrant," Ziva said, coming up the stairs with a paper in her hand.

"Then let's go," Gibbs ordered.

Tony opened his drawer for his weapon…and found it empty. "Boss."

Gibbs paused at Tony's desk. "You're still on IA leave, Tony," he said.

"Gibbs, come on!" Tony protested.

"Stay and work with Abby on the cell records," Gibbs said. He nodded to Ziva and McGee to proceed without him. "I can't have you come, Tony."

"I know, I just." Tony swallowed. "I hate not being on your six, Gibbs." He walked him over to the elevator. "You'll be careful?"

"I'll be careful," Gibbs said as stepped inside, smiling at Tony just before the doors closed. "You have my word, Centurion."

xxxx

"What ya got, Abs?" Tony said, entering the forensics lab.

"More hinkyness, Tony," she said, a puzzled expression on her face. "I checked the cell records of both Gil and Jim Chambers. As we suspected, lots of calls, well, mostly texts as he was at sea. There were also calls from Gil Chambers to his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer McPherson, again, as we suspected."

"So what's hinky?"

"The calls between Jennifer McPherson to Jim Chambers."

"Wait wait wait," Tony said. "Our victim's wife and the dead dirt bag brother?"

"Yep." Abby pointed at the numbers on the computer screen above her. "About ten calls on the day of the murder itself."

"So, our victim's wife was in on it with, who? The ex-boyfriend's brother?" Tony was confused. "Why?"

"I found that out, too," Abby said, clicking more keys. "The old stand-by, Tony," she proclaimed. "Life insurance."

Tony looked at the screen, eyes widening at the amount of life insurance Sergeant McPherson had, all of it headed to his wife. "_Double Indemnity_," he whispered. "Fred MacMurry, Barbara Stanwick, Edward G. Robinson, 1944, directed by Billy Wilder." At Abby's blank look, Tony explains. "A woman gets a guy at an insurance company to kill her husband for the money."

"So, our girl, Jennifer MacPherson, got Petty Officer Chambers' to kill her husband?" Abby asked.

"Yes, but he wasn't the end result," Tony said. "Since Jim Chambers was waiting with a gun when I killed him, he must have been there to kill his brother, therefore getting both the girl and the money."

"Boy, that's bent," Abby said. "But something went wrong, Jim Chambers couldn't or wouldn't kill his brother and you ended up shooting him."

"Yep." He paused as his phone rang, fighting to hide the smile at the name on the caller ID. "Yeah Boss?"

"I need you to drive the truck here, DiNozzo," Gibbs said.

"You found Chambers?"

"Oh, yeah. He's dead."

xxxx

Tony jogged up to Gibbs as he stood outside Chambers' mother's house. "Got a theory, Boss," he said, explaining the connection between Chambers' ex-girlfriend and brother and the life insurance.

"_Double Indemnity_," Gibbs said.

"Gibbs!"

Gibbs gave Tony a look. "I have seen a few movies in my life, Tony." He handed Tony a set of car keys. "Take the sedan and get out of here," he ordered.

"Come on, Boss," Tony protested. "Can I least help Ducky?" he said, his words reminding Gibbs that Palmer wasn't here this week.

Gibbs shook his head in resignation. "Ziva!" he called out.

She trotted over, eyes curious as she spied Tony still here. "Yes, Gibbs?"

"Give Tony your back-up," he ordered, turning back to Tony. "You're not here, officially. But either way, I'm not having you unarmed."

Tony's smile was bright as he watched Ziva bend down, slipping the small revolver from the ankle holster under her pant leg. "You won't regret this, Boss," Tony said, slipping the gun in his waist band.

Ziva watched him with narrowed eyes. "Isn't that the same shirt you wore yesterday?" she observed.

Tony was saved from answering by the arrival of the morgue van, Ducky at the wheel. "I think Mr. Palmer has cursed this damn van," he grumbled, joining them outside the house. "I ended up getting lost, even without him with me."

"Got a new helper for you, Duck," Gibbs said, patting Tony on the back.

"Well, then, things are looking up!"

"Go get the gurney, Tony," Gibbs ordered.

Tony flicked a quick salute, happy to be here with Gibbs. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he had to be here near him, protecting him. He headed to the back of the morgue van, opening the doors and pulling out the gurney with the body bag on top. He turned back to catch the gurney and froze.

"It was you, wasn't it?" the woman with the gun asked. "You ruined everything, you killed Jim and now I have nothing!"

Tony weighed his options and knew there was only one choice. With a huge shove he pushed the gurney toward Jennifer McPherson and reached into his belt for his gun.

Gibbs froze at the sound of the gunshot, head turning toward the morgue van. "Tony!" he screamed, running fast to the vehicle. He knew McGee and Ziva were right behind him, guns drawn as they rounded the van. Ziva threw herself into the body of the woman holding the gun, dislodging the weapon and shoving the other woman onto the ground.

Gibbs ran straight to Tony, leaning against the door of the van, Ziva's gun dangling in his hand. "Tony…"

"I missed," he said, the green eyes finding Gibbs' clouding over. A small smile on his face was an ironic juxtaposition to the trail of blood that was seeping from Tony's lips. "I so rarely miss, General. I am sorry."

With that, Tony slumped to the ground, a red streak smearing along the van door from his wound.


	8. Chapter 8

_He followed Anthony's movements as he exited the tent. By the tension evident his Centurion's body, he could tell Anthony was angry and frustrated. He watched as Anthony paused, nodding to other soldiers passing but keeping himself aloof as he struggled with some internal torment. Squaring his shoulders, Anthony seemed to come to a decision. A fissure of something…fear?...excitement?...ran through him as he watched Anthony grasp his sword and join the line of soldiers heading to the front lines. His view changed as he hovered above the battle that still raged, watching Anthony dive into the thick of the action, sword flashing, eyes flat and unemotional. His Centurion cut down one…five…ten of the enemy before he was overtaken, the broadswords of the Celts cutting through his defenses and aimed true, piercing Anthony's heart…_

…stopping, the sound of the heart monitor squealing loudly as Gibbs jumped up from his chair, moving out of the way of the crash response team.

"Someone bag him, now!" the response doctor yelled.

A mask with a large bulb on the end was placed on Tony's face, precious air being pumped into his lungs by an nurse as someone else cut away Tony's hospital gown, exposing his chest with the obscene wound from his earlier surgery.

"Get an amp of eppie in the IV, stat," the doctor instructed, pulling out the shock paddles just in case.

"No response, Doctor," came the reply after the medicine was injected into the tubing. "Do you want to shock, or try the adrenaline first?"

"Shoot the adrenaline," the doctor ordered.

Gibbs watched in horror as a huge needle was readied, handed to the doctor to be plunged into Tony's chest. He involuntarily moved toward the bed but felt a hand holding his harm, halting his movements. He shook it off and turned to curse at the offending orderly or nurse who would keep him from Tony only to see the patient eyes of Ducky.

"You shouldn't be here," Ducky said, grabbing his arm again and trying to pull him from the room.

"Get the hell off me, Ducky," Gibbs growled. "Tony…he's…I have to be here. With him."

"Then let them do their job," Ducky ordered, pulling Gibbs back away from the medical personnel, his grip surprisingly strong.

Gibbs took a step back, standing off to the side as the needle was pushed into Tony's heart. His mind raced with a memory. Tony, McGee and Ziva huddled around a computer monitor, watching a scene from a movie…something _Fiction_? He wasn't sure, and couldn't fathom why his mind went there at just this moment. The needle slipped in, the medicine administered and still…nothing on the monitor.

"Charge the paddles," the doctor said, his voice cracking. "Start at 200." He held out the two metal disks for the nurse, who automatically squirted big dollops of clear gel on them before the doctor placed them on different points of Tony's chest. "Clear!" The code team responded by lifting their hands away from Tony and the paddles were ignited.

No response.

"Charge to 250."

No response.

"Charge to 300."

No response.

"Charge to 3…

"…_fifty, General! I lost three hundred and fifty men just this morning!" Anthony paced the space of the tent, hands clenched at his fists. "That is inexcusable, sir. These losses, they cannot be tolerated. Your predecessor would never have allowed it." He swallowed and once again buried the pain, banishing the thought of his General, dead these past six months. _

"_Enough!" came the bellow. "You forget yourself, Commander," the general said, voice tight. "You are not in charge here, I am."_

_Anthony paused to stand at attention. "General Primus, I beg your forgiveness and ask your permission to speak."_

_The general paused, obviously enjoying Anthony's subservience. "Granted. But keep a civil tongue in your head else you just might lose it."_

"_Sir, this campaign was ill advised and has turned into a rout against out troops," Anthony said bluntly. "Since it began last month, I have lost over four thousand men, sir. Four thousand good men of Rome, who cannot be replaced. I beg you…"_

"_I like that, Commander," the general cut in. _

"_Sir?"_

"_You, begging me. I like that." The older man came close to Anthony, his lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Until I arrived, you ran this camp and this campaign as you wished, continuing the plans drawn up by my predecessor." The last word was said with a sneer, causing Anthony to jerk a bit in response. "Yes, I know all about your…affection for my predecessor, Commander," General Primus continued. "But I do not care to continue his…unorthodox ways of command."_

"_Sir?" Anthony asked again._

"_Regardless of what he might have wanted, or what you want, I am in charge." General Primus walked to the table, indicating the maps and charts on the table. "And what I want goes, Commander. That is the way the army works, and if you cannot follow my commands, I suggest you pack up and leave." A laugh. "Then again, if you did that, I'd have you hunted down and killed as a deserter." _

"_Sir, you must listen to reason…" Anthony urged, knowing more of his men would die if Primus kept on this path._

"_No, Commander, you listen." Primus pointed at the map. "Take your legion to this glade and confront the enemy. I'll expect a report in a day on your progress." _

_Anthony's gaze fell to the map, memorizing the location of the coming battle. He knew this mission was a no-win one, and felt keenly the loss of men he'd face. "At your service, General," Anthony said, one arm crossing his chest in the time honored salute before turning on his heel and exiting the tent._

_Once outside, he paused, clenching and unclenching his fists. He nodded to a band of soldiers as they passed. He felt a shiver over come him and looked around, wondering where the warm wind came from but seeing nothing else moving. In fact, the air was chilled except over him. The warmth continued to spread through him as he came to a decision, anchoring his sword tight against his body and signally for his legion to follow. The warmth continued as he fought in the battle, felling his enemy with dispatch though he noted others of troops were falling hard at the hand of the Celts. With little emotion, he saw the enemy surround him, watched the blade descend and felt, at last, the peace of dying, of finally being with…_

"…Gibbs." Tony's voice was hoarse as he pulled off the mask, sucking air in deep and screaming again. "Gibbs!"

Gibbs shook off Ducky's hold and shoved to the bed, eyes locking with the frantic green ones of the injured agent. "I'm here, Tony," Gibbs assured him, hand reaching out to touch Tony's face. "I'm here…shh…I'm here."

"Gibbs…" Tony croaked again. "I'm sorry…Gibbs…I…"

"Nothing to be sorry about, Tony," Gibbs said, hand cupping Tony's face. "And I still haven't given you permission to die," he continued, ignoring the shocked glances from the medical personnel.

"Not sure I can follow that order, Boss," Tony said, breath catching tightly.

"Yes, you can," Gibbs demanded as Tony's eyes rolled up and his entire body started shaking. "Tony!"

"Step back, now!" the doctor ordered. "

Gibbs watched as the medical staff once again swarmed around Tony's bed, working to cease the seizure he was suffering. He felt Ducky's hand again pull him back and this time, he didn't shake off the older man, instead twisting his hand to grasp Ducky's arm tightly, needing the support of his friend as the crash team worked.

"Phenytoin, IV push, stat!" the doctor yelled

The medication was injected into the tubing and Gibbs held his breath as Tony's shaking eased, then stopped. His cloudy green eyes opened and searched the room, locking on Gibbs' across the room. Gibbs nodded, forcing a smile to reassure Tony as the younger man's eyes rolled up again.

The doctor cursed and turned to Gibbs and Ducky. "Get out of here, both of you," he ordered as he closed the curtain…

…_behind him, entering the tent. He knew this place, felt the familiar heat from the fire, the shadows and light playing against the furs on the chairs and the ground. He knew this place, but also knew he'd never been here before._

_Except in his dreams._

_The man standing at the fire turned, a smile splitting the stern face. "I promised we'd be together again," he said, coming closer then paused, smile sliding off and a look of puzzlement taking its place. A hand automatically went to his side, but found no sword to pull. "Who…"_

"_Oh, my god," Tony breathed. "General…"_

"_Anthony?"_

_Tony shook his head, a strange feeling overcoming him. He was here, with the General. He must be dead. "I'm Tony, sir," he explained. _

"_Tony…" The General closed his eyes, swaying a bit before catching a hand on the table to his right. A deep breath taken before he continued. "You're not supposed to be here, Tony," the General said. "I'm waiting…my Anthony…"_

"_I think I died, General," Tony said simply. _

" _I don't believe so," the General demurred. _

"_I didn't want to." Tony walked to the fire, gazing into the crackling orange flames. "He told me I couldn't…ordered me, told me not to." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I…let him down, General."_

"_You couldn't let him down, Tony," the General said. "He loves you."_

_Tony shook his head. "No, he doesn't…"_

"_He does." The General sighed. "Tony, look at me."_

_The light from the fire was shining on the General, showing how much he looked like…_was_ Gibbs. Tony was taken back a bit by how similar they were—same eyes, same hair, same bearing and presence. The only thing that wasn't there was the attraction. He was Gibbs…but not _his _Gibbs. "Sir?"_

_A small smile. "He is me, Tony," the General explained mysteriously. "And you're my Anthony, and if there is one thing I know it's that I love him…he loves you."_

"_Doesn't matter," Tony said with a sniff, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. "I'm dead."_

"_Again, I say I do not believe so," came the reply. "You can go back, Tony, and you in doing so, can bring to me my Anthony."_

"_What?" Tony sputtered. "How can I do that? I'm dead! I'm here, with you, and I'm dead! You know there's no going back from that and now I'm here and he's there, my Gibbs is there, alone!"_

"_Oh, gods, cease your prattle," the General ordered, reaching out and snapping his hand sharply against the back of Tony's head. _

_Tony raised a hand to rub his head, a bright smile splitting his face. "You are him!" he proclaimed. _

_The General shook his head in exasperation. "The last thing I need is two of you here, Tony, so just go back."_

"_Just like that?"_

"_Just like that."_

"_You know something I don't, General?" Tony asked. "Because last I checked there wasn't a way just to just magically transport myself to the land of the living once_ _you've been dead for ten…_

"…minutes, but we pulled him out," the voice said.

Gibbs sat in the chair next to Tony's bed, his attention split, half hearing what the doctor was saying, the other half focused on Tony as he lay in the hospital bed. Since he was watching his senior field agent closely he noticed the tiny flicker of awareness, the small change in his breathing as Tony came around. "Tony," he breathed, pushing down the bed rail to sit as close as possible to the younger man.

"Boss…came back."

"You did, didn't you?" Gibbs smiled, swallowing the thickness he felt in his throat. His hand trembled as it ghosted along Tony's cheek. "Never could disobey me, could you?"

Tony shook his head slightly. "Couldn't…disobey…either of you," he said before drifting back to sleep.

Gibbs was aware of the doctor's and Ducky's puzzled looks but ignored them. "Good to know, DiNozzo," he said softly, laying his head on Tony's arm, the bedcovers absorbing Gibbs' tears of relief.

xxxx

"Want to tell me what happened?"

Tony looked over at Gibbs, sitting next to his hospital bed. It had been forty-eight hours since Tony was shot, and twenty-four hours since Tony's code and seizures. Since then, Tony had drifted in and out of sleep, sometimes with the help of lots of pain killers, sometimes with just Gibbs' help, soft voice and softer hands lulling him to slumber. Today was the first time since his shooting that Tony had felt like sitting up, and was actually trying to sip a weak broth and apple juice from the tray in front of him.

Gibbs had gotten him caught up on what had happened, that Jennifer McPherson had conspired with Jim Chambers to kill his brother after Gil Chambers had killed her husband, thereby getting both insurance policies. She saw Tony as the person who kept the plan from working by killing Jim Chambers. Ziva had gotten the confession in record time and no one dared to ask how that confession was obtained; they were just glad Ziva hadn't killed the woman in revenge for shooting Tony.

"Tony," Gibbs asked, waving a hand in front of his face. "Tell me what happened."

Tony looked up. "You won't think I'm crazy?" A raised brow. "Okay, you won't think I'm crazier?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Let me tell you what I saw—dreamed if it'll make you feel better."

Tony blinked. "You dreamed?"

"Before you crashed," Gibbs explained. "I saw you…him…Anthony in battle. He seemed ready to die, Tony." His hand reached out to grasp Tony's right hand, the one without the IV inserted. "It scared me, especially after you crashed and the had the seizure…I thought you'd given up." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I thought I'd lost you."

Tony nodded. "I thought so, too, Gibbs," he admitted. "I saw him, the General. We talked. Said he was waiting for Anthony and that I had to go back because…" Tony paused, picking at the bed clothes with is right hand.

"Because?" Gibbs insisted.

_Do it_, a voice insisted. _Be brave, like my Anthony_. "Because you love me."

There. It was out now. And it just kind of hung in the air, much to Tony's dismay. He sneaked a peek up at Gibbs and saw the familiar half smile on his face. Tony waited.

"Well, yeah, DiNozzo."

Tony's head came up full force. "What?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and lifted his hand, intending to smack Tony's head, pausing at the last second to stroke down the soft hair. "Yeah, I love you, Tony." He pulled the back of Tony's head closer, ghosting a kiss on Tony's startled mouth. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Tony shook his head, nose bumping against Gibbs.' "Not a problem at all," he croaked, lifting his mouth for another kiss. This one was deep and soulful and filled with promise and love. Tony pulled his mouth away. "Gibbs…"

"I know," he said, resuming their kiss.

A discreet cough sounded and both men turned toward the door. A young nurse's aid stood at the door. "I'm here for the tray," she said, pointing at the remains of Tony's lunch.

Gibbs growled, but stood up, allowing the woman to slip inside the room and grab the tray then exiting as quickly as possible.

"No need to snap at the poor girl," Tony scolded before yawning loudly.

"Time to sleep," Gibbs ordered, grabbing the bed control and pushing the button to lower Tony's head.

"Don't you have to work?" Tony asked, eyes drooping down.

Gibbs shook his head. "Vacation," he explained. "Lots of it." He reached down for Tony's right hand, his other going to up to stroke Tony's head. "Go to sleep," he ordered, fingers soft along Tony's scalp.

"Hmm," Tony said, snuggling down.

Gibbs waited until Tony was asleep before lowering his own head to rest on Tony's arm. Feeling the pulse in Tony's wrist lulled him to sleep…

…_against his General's chest. He loved this, loved having his Centurion back in his arms where he belonged. "I kept my promise," he whispered to the younger man. "I told you we'd meet again."_

_Anthony sighed. "You did," he agreed. "We're together, both now and then."_

_The General thought of the other ones and smiled. _


End file.
